Jason went down hard.
Ivan saw it happening before the others did—the way Jason's knees buckled, the way his eyes rolled back slightly as his body finally gave up the fight it had been waging all day. Maybe all week. The others hesitated for a crucial second. Kaelen tensed but didn't move. Avalon looked torn between stepping forward and maintaining the distance the Council observer's presence demanded.
Ivan moved before thought could stop him.
He dropped to his knees beside Jason, catching the back of his head just before it could crack against the training room floor. The impact would have been ugly. Jason's skin was burning up under Ivan's palm, fever radiating through him like he was on fire from the inside out.
"Shit," Ivan muttered under his breath.
Chaos erupted around them. The instructor was shouting for medical assistance, his voice echoing off the walls of the combat wing. The Council observer was calling for a runner, her tone sharp and efficient. Other trainees who had fin
